Reports

Trillions of dollars: That is the amount the electric utility industry will invest globally to build a more efficient system in the coming decades. What fundamental changes do energy leaders think must be made along the entire electric value chain — from wholesale, where low- or zero-emissions generation resources are expected to become mainstream, to retail, where technology innovation is opening doors to practical ways of empowering customers to better control how and when they use energy?

With the global economy remaining in the grip of a severe downturn that could last for several months, it is evident that a utility’s success depends on its ability to strengthen its current customer relationships. However, the expectations of utility customers have steadily increased as non‐utility companies have raised the bar on customer service. As a result, utilities are increasingly investigating new customer service technologies that will improve customer service, provide operational efficiencies, and/or lower costs. To provide a better understanding of the utility marketplace for customer service solutions, UtiliPoint® recently conducted interviews with executives from some of the leading vendors in the utility customer service sector. This compilation of interviews marks the ninth annual collection of this type.